Always a good comfort food, meatloaf is a hearty and filling meal. Rooted in European culture, meatloaf is considered a favorite among many. In 2007, meatloaf was voted the seventh most favorite comfort food. For budget conscious households, meatloaf is an inexpensive meal to make.

You can use most any leftovers to extend the meat to include vegetables, dried or stale bread, grinding leftover pieces of other meats and adding it the recipe. Adding fillers to two pounds of ground meat can extend it to more than three pounds by weight. Have some meatloaf left over? make a great sandwich topped with lettuce and tomatoes.

Meatloaf is an easy make, keeping it moist during cooking is sometime by trial and error. The moisture from the meat will be absorbed by whatever filling you use causing your meatloaf to become dry. When adding breadcrumbs, crumbled cracker crumbs and quick oats, don’t forget to add a liquid, you will need at least 1/2 cup of liquid for every 2 cups of breading and 2 pounds of ground meat used. Over cooking a meatloaf or cooking at too high a temperature will cause the moisture in the meat to evaporate more quickly.

Meatloaf should be slow cooked at lower temperature to help keep it moist and rich with flavor.

Meatloaf with Red Sauce
Serves 4 to 6
Preheat oven to 350`F

Ingredients
• 3 pounds – ground chuck or ground round
• 2 cups quick oats
• 1 package of Lipton beefy onion soup mix
• 1 medium onion – minced (1/3 cup)
• 2 teaspoons basil
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup cold water (later)
• 1/4 cup dice green peppers (optional)
• One large glass or stainless mixing bowl
• One large or 2 small loaf pans lined with aluminum foil

Preparation

1. Combine all ingredients except water, and mix thoroughly until, incorporate water into meat mixture, making sure to mix well.

2. Form and continue to roll meat mixture, until smooth, into shape similar to football. Drop in loaf pan, and shape into a rectangle. Make sure there is space between the walls of the loaf pan and square all sides. Make a small indentation lengthwise along the top. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and place on middle rack of preheated 350`F oven.

3. Let meatloaf cook for one hour and remove top foil and cook for another 30 to 45 minutes.

4. When meatloaf is brown and firm to the touch, it should be done. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes.

Platting
Slice meatloaf about 1/4 inch and serve with 1 ounce ladle of any red sauce across the surface.